The man who stepped out of the car was wearing a flashy suit. Several other men who had been riding with him also stepped out. Based on their grooming and the look in their eyes, they made no attempt to hide their violent impression. The group, emitting a dangerous atmosphere, walked toward us.
"Hey, isn't that... the young head of the Perponas Gang?"
"Yeah, no doubt. They're a group with a lot of crazy rumors, even among the rising Mafia powers around here lately... Are those guys planning to take this year's Hunter Exam too?!"
There are no eligibility requirements for the Hunter Exam. Even if one is a heinous criminal, taking the exam is possible. In fact, it's said that a certain number of major criminals exist among those who hold Professional Hunter licenses.
Hunters are not solely those who claim to be just. Hunter aptitude is not based on good or evil. Of course, it's not total anarchy, but it's said that one won't be dropped from the screening due to a criminal history.
If that's the case, it's natural that those who wish to justify their crimes would set their sights on it. They don't want to become Hunters. They just want the privileges. Out of the many candidates, those who sincerely want to be Hunters might not be that many.
That said, I wasn't in a position to judge others. In the Sky Island incident, I was witnessed killing Rock. It was unavoidable in that situation, but the problem is the way he was killed. There is a high possibility that my ability will be linked to that red crystal that harmed so many passengers.
There was no guarantee I could continue to escape without incident. There were also many unknown points regarding the relationship between the Saherta United States and Six. At any rate, in my current state without any identification, my influence with the relevant authorities is practically zero.
In that sense, being able to take the Hunter Exam at this timing immediately after the incident was a stroke of luck. Professional Hunters have limited immunity from arrest and can refuse a summons from investigative authorities. One won't be detained without question.
In other words, my reason for wanting to be a Hunter is not much different from the Mafia guys who just arrived. Once the license is obtained, even a criminal can walk the streets with their head held high. To someone who truly aims to be a Hunter, we would likely be seen as two of a kind.
The Mafia and their followers approached our line, but the place they headed was not the end of the queue. It was the opposite: the very front. I didn't have a good feeling about it.
Due in part to Six's short stature, I couldn't see well what was happening from this position. I strained my ears and reinforced my senses with aura.
"Hey, would you mind letting us have this spot?"
"N-no, we've been here since last night..."
A single gunshot rang out.
"Eh? You didn't hear me? Should I say it again? Would you mind letting us have this spot?"
There was no further argument. The men who had been at the front of the line left the queue and re-lined at the back. It seemed the gunshot had been a warning shot, as no one was injured. The men whose spots were stolen twisted their expressions in resentment.
However, even with that happening, the people here did not flee. In the tense air, the only ones speaking were the Mafia entrenched at the front. Many candidates continued to wait for the bus in silence.
Amidst the strange silence that was disproportionate to the size of the crowd, a large bus slowly pulled into the pickup point. On its side, the words Welcome Hunter Exam Candidates! were written in large letters. When I checked the time, it was about thirty minutes earlier than scheduled. Perhaps they moved the start time forward because of the high number of candidates.
Good morning to everyone gathered here! This bus is the "Final Service" bound for the Hunter Exam venue! Candidates, please be careful not to miss your ride!
An announcement played in a male voice. Did I mishear just now? I felt like there was a very unsettling word...
I repeat! This bus is the final service to the Hunter Exam venue! In the unlikely event that you miss this bus, you will be deemed disqualified and lose your eligibility to take the exam, so please be aware!
I hadn't misheard. However, it wasn't a story I could simply nod along to. The shuttle service ends with this one bus, and if you can't board, you're disqualified. It's obvious that not everyone gathered here can fit.
It's announced in a polite phrasing, but the content is nothing short of unreasonable. It could only be seen as intentionally planned. In other words, this is a situation the Hunter Association has already factored in. Unless we overcome this situation, we aren't qualified to reach the exam venue.
I didn't think the exam would start in this way. And I'm not the only one who understood this situation. Those who reached the same conclusion began to move all at once.
No one cared about the order of the line anymore. People swarmed toward the bus in a mad dash. I couldn't afford to lose either. I have several urgent circumstances of my own. I reinforced my physical abilities with aura and squeezed through the gaps in the crowd to move forward.
With Six's small body and power that didn't match it, I advanced as if threading through the gaps between the adults. While the front rows blocked each other and showed no sign of moving forward at all, I was the only one who managed to move to the very front.
"Alright, we're at capacity here."
However, there I learned why the candidates had stalled. Despite a situation where it wouldn't be strange for an overwhelming number of people to flood in at once, only a few figures could be seen inside the bus.
Specifically, five people. It was the group of Mafia called the Perponas Gang. I could tell they were able to board first because they were at the front. But they were blockading the bus entrance. They were pointing handguns to ensure no one else could board.
"There's still room! Open the way!"
"Are you stupid? Is there any need to go out of our way to welcome people we might have to compete against? I mean, why would we want to ride with a bunch of sweaty guys like you? If you're a beauty, we might let you on."
A beauty, huh. I'm not sure if Six falls into that category, but I was hailed as a silver-haired beautiful girl on the net. Maybe I have a chance?
"Sir, this is a problem! You can't do this!"
As I was hesitating over whether to step forward, a man who seemed to be a bus attendant protested to the Mafia. The response was given with a gunshot. One of the Mafia's subordinates fired without warning.
"Gwahhh?!"
The attendant was shot and tumbled out of the bus entrance. This tyranny is going too far. I rushed to the attendant's side.
"Hey, why are you just shooting?"
"Ah? The Young Head said 'Don't let any unnecessary people on.' We gotta kick off all the useless ones!"
Fortunately, it seemed the attendant was wearing a bulletproof vest under his suit. He must have anticipated this kind of situation. But the impact seemed to have gone through regardless; he was clutching his stomach where the bullet hit and seemed unable to move from the pain.
"Ah?! Why aren't you dead, you?!"
A skinhead man with piercings all over his face pointed his gun at me. When I saw his eyes, I understood. This man could pull the trigger without hesitation. I concentrated aura in my arm with Gyo and caught the bullet fired toward the attendant. The deflected bullet buried itself in the ground.
"Hm? Did I miss...?"
The Mafia man fired in rapid succession. An impact that took all my effort to endure vibrated through my bones. Does this man really understand that each of those shots has the power to easily kill a person? Does he feel nothing about trying to take another's life so meaninglessly?
"Eh? Wait? Why?"
Bullets clattered to the ground at my feet. Likely noticing the anomaly, the Mafia subordinate showed agitation.
"Hey, what are you doing! We're moving out!"
At that, the other subordinates inside the bus threatened the driver and made him close the entrance doors. By the time I thought it was bad, it was already too late; with a sound like air escaping, the doors closed. I couldn't let it start moving like this. I tried to force my way onto the bus.
"...Wait, please..."
But interference came in an unexpected form. The attendant I should have saved was clinging to me and holding me back. It might have been an action intended to keep me from danger, but it was unwanted help. While I was delayed, the bus started moving.
"Damn it... how can I give up here! After all the effort I put in for this day...!"
"I'll run and follow you to the exam venue!"
Candidates who couldn't give up started chasing after the bus. I should follow immediately too. Catching up to the bus's speed is a simple task. From there, I can jump onto the roof or smash through a window to get in.
However, once again, the attendant obstructed me. The strength of the man trying to hold me back was incredible; it didn't seem like that of an injured person at all.
"No, that's why I'm telling you to wait."
Realizing something was off, I observed the attendant's state. Then I noticed the flow of aura he was wearing. This was not that of an ordinary person. This man is a Nen user.
"Congratulations. You 'Pass'."
With that, the man brushed the dirt off his suit and stood up as if nothing had happened, showing a pleasant expression.
The attendant and I were moving through the city on a bus. This bus wasn't a private hire; it was a normal route used by general citizens. There were other passengers besides us.
I received an explanation from the man about what that series of commotions was. Just as I thought, it seemed to be part of the exam. However, the reality was even more severe than I imagined.
To begin with, the information regarding the exam venue on the Hunter Association's official site was a total lie, and candidates who gathered at the pickup point after being misled by that lie were disqualified at that moment. The Mafia who boarded the bus and the candidates who ran after it were all disqualified together.
"Those Mafia guys would probably be furious if they knew, but don't worry. The bus driver is also an Association member, so they're probably being beaten to a pulp right about now."
In other words, it was all an act. Being toyed with is irritating, but thanks to that, I could say I was the only one who avoided failing back there. Normally, I—who came to the pickup point without scrutinizing the information—would have been disqualified, but I was overlooked thanks to this attendant's discretion.
The exam venue changes every year, and candidates are not informed of its detailed location in advance. In other words, finding the exam venue was itself part of the exam. And the existence the candidates should find first for that purpose is a 'Navigator.' A guide to the venue. This attendant is also one of the Navigators.
A Navigator interacts with candidates while hiding their identity, testing whether that person has the aptitude to enter the venue. If they find you suitable, they will guide you to the exam venue.
Of course, candidates are not told that such things as Navigators exist. Unless you can reach this point with zero hints, you can't even enter the venue. Unless you are a regular who has taken the exam many times, most candidates are filtered out at this stage.
"That's why it's said that only one in ten thousand people can actually take the exam. In some years, the number of applicants exceeds ten million, you see. The Committee's argument is that it's impossible to let all of them take the main exam. I'm against that way of thinking, though."
This Navigator seemed to have various complaints about the Hunter Exam Execution Committee, and I was forced to listen to his grumbling for the entire bus ride.
"Even if you have to cut people, don't you think there's a better way? We should make it a format where we can screen individual aptitude as much as possible. Even this time, we almost let an excellent talent like you fail. That's a huge loss for both the students and the Hunter Association. To be blunt, I think it's negligence on the Association's part."
At any rate, he was a talkative man. However, it was because he had a personality that thought kindly of the students that I was in a position to be guided like this. I couldn't be cold, so I continued listening while giving occasional vague nods.
Next stop, Zaban Central Housing Complex, Zaban Central Housing Complex.
"Ah, let's get off here."
The talk finally ended—or rather, we reached the destination. After getting off the bus, we moved to the front of an apartment building.
"Press the intercom for room 503 and ask, 'Is this Mr. Michael's house?' After that, if you follow the instructions, you'll reach the venue."
I see, they use this kind of code to hide the path to the venue. This would have been impossible to find on my own. I was lucky to meet a Navigator. I thanked him again.
"No, no, you saved me from a dangerous spot, too. No need for thanks."
Even if I hadn't stepped in, he likely could have handled that level of gunfire. However, it would be tactless to say that here. The young Navigator smiled as if seeing through my intentions.
"Ah, that's right. How silly of me, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Pariston Hill. If you happen to fail the exam, please send word to the Hunter Association under my name. I'll guide you again next year. But well, someone like you will undoubtedly pass this year's exam. Good luck."
With a smile and a wave, the Navigator, Pariston, saw me off. I waved back and left the area.
[If Pariston wasn't there]
Mafia Subordinate: "Young Head! This is bad! A little girl is..."
Mafia Young Head: "Huh? What about a little girl?"
Mafia Subordinate: "A little girl is... chasing the car at high speed!"
SMASH! (Sound of a window being broken)
Six: "I . W I L L . E A T"